Lego Spike Kits

[Ciarán Fay]

Hi everyone,

I'm reaching out to the group to ask about LEGO Spike and whether any of you have experience using it in schools. My school is considering purchasing a Spike kit, but I'm new to it and have some questions. If anyone has insights or advice, I'd greatly appreciate it!

Here are my initial questions:

1. Would one kit cover a class of 25 students?
2. What age group is LEGO Spike best suited for?
3. Is it difficult to maintain the kit with all the tiny Lego pieces?
4. Are there any specific challenges or benefits you've encountered when using LEGO Spike in the classroom?
5. Are there any additional accessories or resources you recommend purchasing along with the kit?

If anyone has any information or experiences they'd be willing to share, I'd love to hear from you. Thank you in advance for your help!

Best regards,

Ciarán Fay

[Áine Uí Choinne]

I would be interested in this also! ai...@gaelscoildd.ie

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Áine Uí Choinne,

Príomhoide, 

Gaelscoil Dhún Dealgan, 

Muirtheimhne Mór,

Dún Dealgan, Co. Lú

A91 D797

19892V

[Val Gavin]

Chris Reina, would be your man for this, he is on here regularly 

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[Chris Reina]

Hi Folks,

For me… Lego is king - I love it and we use it constantly in classrooms (and personally!).

But, as a Maker… I do find the Spike Sets quite expensive for what they are and what you get.

In term of Robotics and Engineering (especially for Primary schools) - we use the Edison Robots.

• Would one kit cover a class of 25 students?

• IMHO - no. A single set only gets you a single “Hub” - OK for a class, but only collaboratively on a single project… not for individual work.

• What age group is LEGO Spike best suited for?

• Depending on coding (Scratch) experience - probably 7/8+

• Is it difficult to maintain the kit with all the tiny Lego pieces?

• Unquestionably. While the box it comes in is a huge advantage… things drop, go missing, etc. - and if they are “mission critical” sensors or pieces, projects can be dependent on them.

• Are there any specific challenges or benefits you've encountered when using LEGO Spike in the classroom?

• Everyone wanting to be the programmer / main person to use the kit. Younger students find it challenging to not do the “perceived cool” thing and take on other “less interesting” tasks..

For me… the Edison is cheaper, simpler and has [almost] all the advantages of the Spike kit.

For instance… it can be programmed using:

EdBlocks (ie: no language, just symbols)

EdScratch (ie: just like Scratch)

EdPy (ie: just like Python)

This means the robots is suitable for Jr Infants through to 6th Class (and above!)

They are Lego Compatible, so all basic Lego kits will work with them.

There are the standard sensors built in: Light, Sound, Infrared (IR), Distance, Line.

It has a speaker, removable wheels, 2 individual motors and using the IR sensor, can be controlled using almost any TV/DVD remote control.

As well as that, they can be programmed using barcodes… so ideal for younger students again.

The Creators Kit (purchased separately) allows the making of many different projects (including a digger, claw, crane, tank - and even a plotter!)

Cost (per Robot) is ±€55.00 and the Creators Kit is ±€25.00 (with discounts on Educators Kits/Class Sets of 2, 10, 20 or 30)

We don’t sell them and are independent practitioners - and have been using them for many years now and love them!

Feel free to reach out to me if you want more information on them in real-world scenarios.

Many thanks,

Chris

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[Chris Reina]

Just hit send…

SNAP!

(see what I did there…)

Thanks Val!

C

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[Catherine Mangan]

Hi Ciarán,

Lego spike is a brilliant resource. Each kit is really for 3-4 children at most. If you have very strict classroom management around the use of the Lego it is possible to maintain the kit. Always allow ample time for tidy up etc.

Oide are offering a summer courses in most Education centres on Lego spike so it might be worth signing up to one of them.

Thanks 

Catherine 

Sent from my iPhone

On 2 May 2024, at 09:35, Ciarán Fay <ciara...@gmail.com> wrote:



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